Printer incorporating two part adhesive applicator and binder

#The following invention relates to a page binding device having a support tray with vibratory page alignment. More particularly, though not exclusively, the invention relates to a page binder that applies glue to pages and feeds them to the support tray at relatively high velocities. The support tray receives the pre-edge glued, uniformly sized printed pages and aligns them prior to pressing the pre-glued edges together.

#It is well known to print individual pages of a volume to be bound, then to place all of the printed pages into a stack, to then crop one or more edges of the stack and to then bind the pages together by applying a binding adhesive to an edge of the stack of pages. This is a time consuming and labour-intensive process.

#It would be more efficient to provide pre-cut, uniformly sized pages, to print one or both surfaces of each page and to provide a strip of binding adhesive to one or both surfaces of each page adjacent the edge to be bound, to accurately place the printed and pre-glued pages in a stack, and to press the pages adjacent the spine so that the adhesive binds the page edges together.

#Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a page conveyed along a path and passing a pagewidth print head and an adhesive applicator;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a page having an adhesive strip adjacent one edge thereof;

#In FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a path 10 of a page 11 passing through a printer incorporating an adhesive applicator.

#Page 11 is driven to the right at a driving station D. Driving station D might comprise a pair of opposed pinch rollers 12 as shown. The page 11 then passes a printing station P and then an adhesive application station A. As an alternative, the adhesive application station A might precede the printing station P, but it is preferred that the adhesive application station follow the printing station so that adhesive on the page 11 does not clog the print head or print heads at printing station P.

#For single sided page printing, the printing station P might comprise a single print head 13. The print head 13 might be a pagewidth drop on demand ink jet print head. Alternatively, the print head might be that of a laser printer or other printing device. Where the page 11 is to be printed on both sides, a pair of opposed print heads 13 might be provided.